Meanings
plural battlecruisers · alternative battle cruiser · alternative battle-cruiser
- governmentA fast warship with thicker armor and heavier guns than a typical cruiser, but with armor, armament, or both still inferior to that of a dreadnought battleship; designed to act as an advanced scout of the battle fleet and to destroy enemy cruisers.
US Navy hull classification symbol: CC (Only used for the cancelled Lexington-class)
Synonyms: supercruiser, cruiser-killer, large cruiser
- fictionA warship of intermediate size and/or capability between a heavy cruiser and a (light) battleship.
- CockneyslangA boozer; a public house.
So he'd effectively had to learn a new language; no longer would he order a pint at the 'battle cruiser' […]
2014, Steve Wilson, The Twelve Doors of Christmas Avenue, page 9
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA fast warship with thicker armor and heavier guns than a typical cruiser, but with armor, armament, or both still inferior to that of a dreadnought battleship; designed to act as an advanced scout of the battle fleet and to destroy enemy cruisers.
Origin
Blend of battleship + cruiser, from being a cruiser-like ship with battleship-like capabilities and possibly operating in the battleline.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech bitevní křižník
- bitevní křižníktype of warship
Esperanto batalkrozoŝipo
- batalkrozoŝipotype of warship
Finnish taisteluristeilijä
- taisteluristeilijätype of warship
French croiseur de bataille
- croiseur de batailletype of warship
German Schlachtkreuzer
- Schlachtkreuzertype of warship
Greek καταδρομικό μάχης, βαρύ καταδρομικό
- καταδρομικό μάχης (katadromikó máchis)type of warship
- βαρύ καταδρομικό (varý katadromikó)type of warship
Hebrew סַיֶּרֶת מַעֲרָכָה, סַיֶּרֶת קְרָב
- סַיֶּרֶת מַעֲרָכָה (sayeret ma'arakha)type of warship
- סַיֶּרֶת קְרָב (sayeret krav)type of warship
Italian incrociatore da battaglia
- incrociatore da battagliatype of warship
Japanese 巡洋戦艦
- 巡洋戦艦 (jun'yō senkan)type of warship
Korean 순양전함
- 순양전함 (sunyang jeonham)type of warship
Polish krążownik liniowy
- krążownik liniowytype of warship
Russian лине́йный кре́йсер
- лине́йный кре́йсер (linéjnyj kréjser)type of warship
Spanish crucero de batalla
- crucero de batallatype of warship
Swedish slagkryssare
- slagkryssaretype of warship
Thai เรือลาดตระเวนประจัญบาน
- เรือลาดตระเวนประจัญบานtype of warship
Cite this entry
battlecruiser. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/battlecruiser
“battlecruiser.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/battlecruiser. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “battlecruiser,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/battlecruiser.
Source: battlecruiser on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.